This is a popular middle eastern meat dish which can be served as a baked “loaf” or made into croquettes which are generally fried. Serve with tahini dip, some marinated olives, tabouleh salad and some baklava for dessert.
For the meatloaf:
- 1 cup bulgur wheat
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 2 large tomatoes, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1¾ teaspoons ground allspice
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¾ cup chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
For the salsa:
- 3 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
- 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ cups Greek yogurt
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10-by-10-inch brownie pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, cover bulgur with warm water by 2 inches. Soak 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry.
2. Meanwhile, make salsa: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients, cover and refrigerate until needed.
3. Make meatloaf: In a food processor, pulse onions, tomatoes and garlic until you have a rough purée. (Alternatively, finely chop.) In a large bowl, combine vegetable purée and drained bulgur with remaining ingredients, except for oil. Mix well, then transfer mixture to prepared pan. Gently pat into an even layer, then brush top with 1 tablespoon oil.
4. Bake meatloaf until cooked through and beginning to brown on top, 30 minutes. Remove from oven and brush top with remaining oil. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
5. To serve, cut meatloaf into eight portions. Serve with salsa spooned over top and a sprinkling of herbs. Pass extra salsa at the table.
Finely chopped cucumbers are a good addition to the salsa too:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Rest time before cutting: 5 minutes
Serves: 6-8